Amalgamating device.



P. KUEHN.

AMALGAMATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJZ. 1916.

1 62, 1 2n Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

PAUL KUEHN, OF DENVER, COLORADO. V

AMALGAMATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed. August 12, 1916. Serial No. 114,510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL KUEHN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamating Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for recovering metals from their ores by amalgamation and more particularly to an improvement in the construction of amalgamators of the type shown in my Letters Patent No. 1,019,054, dated March 5, 1912, wherein amalgamation is eifected by maintaining two hydrostatic columns of ore pulp upon a body of mercury and causing the pulp to flow from the bottom of one column to the bottom of the other, by giving one column a slight head over the other, the pulp being caused to flow in a thin stream over the surface of an amalgam plate supported by the mercury, in passing from one column to the other, the plate serving to prevent agitation and consequent flouring of the mercury and the body of the mercury beneath the plate serving to receive and hold the amalgam carried over the edges of the plate by the flow. An object of this inven tion is to keep the surface of the amalgam plate over which the pulp flows in prime condition for effecting amalgamation, by continuously supplying fresh mercury to said surface, and to accomplish the same in a very simple manner without hindering the flow of the pulp over the plate and without liability of flouring the mercury. It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction which will facilitate the clean up or removal of the amalgam and make the parts interchangeable.

To these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims reference being had to the accomthe amalgam by being able to take certain parts from one machineand place them in another while the removed parts are being put in condition for use. For this reason the device as shown in the accompanying drawing is made up of. an outer shell 1 of cylindrical form into which is set a sepa rate cup or receptacle 2, said receptacle be- 1ng properly centered within the shell in any suitable manner as by forming a slight depression in the bottom of the shell. The hopper 3 is arranged'to set upon the upper edge of the shell 1 and is held in place by an annular flange 4 engaging the shell.- This hopper is formed with a tubular downwardly extending feed tube 5 located and held in the center of the receptacle 2 by means of the hopper and the lower end of this feed tube is spaced from the bottom of the receptacle by being suspended therein. When ore pulp is fed into the hopper a central hydrostatic column is formed in the feed tube 5 and the pulp flows from the bottom of this column laterally in the receptacle 2 and rises therein, overflowing the upper edge of said receptacle.

To cause .the ore pulp to flow for a certain distance laterally in the receptacle 2 before it rises therein, a false wall 6 oftubular form is secured to the bottom of the hopper in spaced parallel relation to the feed tube 5 and is connected to the lower end of the feed tube by a horizontal wall 7 thus forming between the wall 6 and the wall of the receptacle 2, an annular hydrostatic column of ore pulpin said space 8 between said walls.-

When the device is placed in operation a suitable amount'of mercury indicated at 9 is placed in the bottom of the receptacle 2 and an amalgam-plate 10 is placed in the receptacle to float upon this body of mercury with thenarrow space between its upper surface and the lower end of the feed tube 5 and horizontal wall 7. This plate 10 supports the center column of ore pulp and takes the impact of the down flow of said column, thus protecting the body of mercury and preventing the same from being floured by the flow and carried upwardly with the flow and over the upper edge of the receptacle 2. In. flowing laterally from the center column through the narrow space between the upper surface of the plate and the horizontal wall 7, the ore pulp is brought ed upper surface of the plate and thus every particle of precious metal is brought into contact With themercury and amalgamated therewith.

It has been found that in an ainalgamator ofthetype shown .inmy Letters Patent No. 1,019,054, theimpact of the flow of' pulp from the center column'upon the' amalgam. plate soon Wears away the mercury coating of the plate, scouringit so. that is-left clean at the center portion and thus permitting, some of the pulp to flow over: the plate Without coming in contact with: the mercury. To overcome this defecta hole '11: of theproper size is bored through theplate at the axis of the feed column, thus permittingthe mercury to pass up through this center opening and flow radially over the surface ofthe plate, the Weight of theceir ter column of pulp causingthe plate to be depressed slightly so that the tendency of; the mercury Will beto flow through this center opening, and the lateral flow over; the plate from the center column radially toward its outer edge, also tendstovdraw the mercury through the center opening and.

V spread-it over the upper surface of theplate which is thus automatically kept iii-prime condition at all times.

The amalgam plate 10 is preferably made with six or more straight sides and of sucha diameter that the angles formed by these sides will just touch the circular wall of the receptacleQ and thus hold the plate centered Within the receptacle with its center opening 11 at the axis of the receptaclezandthe center feed column. This leaves spaces between the straightedges of theplateand the. Wall of the receptacle, and through: these spaces the amalgam formedon the upper surfacexof the plate drops intorthebottom of theirecepe tacle and body-of mercury beneath the plate: The radial movement of, the pulptencls. to force the amalgam formed on the upper sur face of theplate outwardly and over its. outer edge.

he hopper 3 is preferably. made shallow so that. the center-column can: only have. a. certain amount of head over the outer annu-v lar column in the receptacle andxthus the rate offiow of the pulp downwardly'inthe center column, radially in. all directions from the lower endof the, center columnto the lower end of the annular olumn-and'up- Wardly and overthe upperedge of the re ceptacle 2 is governed. The Wasteor overflow from the receptacle is discharged throughv a suitable spout on the outer. shelL- By makingthe shell 1 thereceptacle2 and the hopper. 3 Wll3l1 its center feed tube, in separateparts which lit-together, the-clean up or: removal. of. the amalgam from; the receptacle is. facilitated as the;v re eptacle may/bertaken out with the amalgam; and the remainder: of:- the pulp therein 1 and-, set pone side, and another receptacle put in its place having the proper'amount of mercury in its hottonrand'an amalgam plate floating on the mercury.

By providing the amalgam plate with the center opening in the arrangement of parts as shown, causes mercury to be constantly supplied to the surface of the plate and the mercury surface thus constantly renewed as it is scoured awayiby thecontact of the pulp flowingthereover. This veryessential feature ofkeep-ing the amalgam platein prime condition duringthe operation of the device. is thus secured in a very simple manner. and the-operation ofthe machinemade continu one until suchtime as the spacev beneath the amalgam plate has been completely. filled: With amalgam, Thersize ofthis center open-.1 ing 11 in the amalgam plateis made inpropoi'tion to the diameter ofithe plateand'ather size of the machine, and r it is; .-OlOVlOU.S;:l3l1&l3i

one or more. openings may he: providedin thev plate opposite the: lower end-of thegcenter feed column as founddesirable,

Having. thus fully described my; invention What I claim is 1. In an amalgamator, the'combination of a receptacle, a body of; mercury 'in1saidre; ceptacle, an amalgam plate supported: solely. by the body of mercury, and means for maintaining hydrostati o columns *OfiOI'G pulp: ofdifierent'heights upon saidplate. and body: of. mercury, said plate. having. an; opening therethrough'atthe lower end of. one column Within which the mercury :rises and .ithrouglr whichv themercury fromxbeneath the plateis adapted to. pass;

2. In an varnalgainator, .the combination of a receptacle, of. abody of mercury in: the bottom of the receptacle, an amalgam: plate flea-tin upon the body: of the. mercury, and having an opening. therethrough, and a feed member extending downward .into'. the recep:

tacle. to feed. material by gravity: Withits' 1 lower endadjacent the: uppersfaeepof the: amalgam plate and opposite the opening. therein.

3. In an. amalgamator, the combination of a receptacle, a body of'mercury'intheybody of the. receptacle, an amalgam.-platezfioated by the body of mercury, alfeed; tube extends mg down into'the'. receptacle to feechmate rial therein over the surface of saidaplate,

said feed tube forming a. hydrostatic column floating u on: said; body of. mercury, a; feed.

tuhe extending downward into; thev recaps tacle. for: feeding" material on tothe-i plate,

concentric hydrostatic columns of ore pulp of different heights, said amalgam plate being provided with an opening therethrough at the axis of the center column.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL KUEHN.

and means whereby mercury is supplied to the upper surface of said plate at the lower end of said feed tube.

5. In an amalgamator, the combination of a circular receptacle, a body of mercury in the bottom of said receptacle, an amalgam plate floating upon the body of mercury and a tubular feed member extending downward within the receptacle with its lower end Witnesses: spaced a short distance from the upper sur- WILL E. CoMnR, face of said plate and forming a center and E. M. COSTELLO.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patentn,

Washington, D. 0." 

